Silent Night
by ReeReeWithAngst
Summary: My Christmas present to Silverhuntresses! Ho Ho Ho! On a quiet, cold night, Octavian ventures into a nice neighborhood with a question on his mind.


**This is my Christmas present for Silverhuntresses. We didn't talk about this but I think she'll like it.**

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The houses in this part of town were well decorated, which only half surprised him. These people, of course, could afford such luxurious decorations. However his family had never gone all out for the holidays. At the moment he couldn't recall if they had ever even had a Christmas tree. He didn't have one now. Rachel had tried to get him to get one, but he preferred to keep it simple.

"Scrooge," She'd teased.

"I have a wreath!" He protested. She hung tinsel around his neck.

"Now you can be the tree." He would be a little busy during Christmas, a little too busy to be a tree. Maybe he'd get a little one. Invite her over in the morning to decorate it with her. Then have her open her presents, and...

He slipped in the snow, getting a mouthful of unblemished fluff. He spit it out.

"You'd think they would shovel this stuff." He checked his phone for the address, shivering in the cold. He used to belong in a place like this, unfortunately now he didn't. He couldn't afford the elaborate decorations, and he couldn't afford a really nice coat. What he had was from goodwill. He'd been putting off expenses for months, skipping meals, sewing up ripped clothes, making do with worn shoes... It was all worth it if...

"Where's this house?" He grumbled, walking another block. And then he saw it.

"Oh of course. The most artistic girl I know, the girl who is trying to get me to get a tree, comes from a house that doesn't have a single decoration up. He shuddered a little. This place was worse than the Alexander Mansion. And that place had lived in his nightmares a good solid three years after he left. He rang the buzzer with caution, continuing to tell himself that it would all be worth it on Christmas morning. If.

"Who is this?"

"Is Mr. Dare there? I need to speak to him."

"Who is this?"

"My name is Octavian Alexander." He could pull his mother's rank if he needed to, but he hoped the next bit would get him in.

"I need to talk to him regarding his daughter."

"His daughter who?" They were testing him.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Please let me in, it's cold out here." He'd skipped what he hoped would be his last meal today, though he had at least one more payment to go. The gate swung open.

"I'm keeping my eye on you." The security detail warned.

"I would expect nothing less." He came in. A butler let him in. Was this house new? Or was it their Christmas home? Rachel had told him that the Dare family had a preposterous amount of homes. The inside was a small bit more festive than the outside. Somewhere Jingle bells was playing.

"I'll lead you to Mr. Dare's personal office." Octavian nodded. Perhaps this wasn't how he should have gone about meeting Rachel's father for the first time. Perhaps he was stupid. Perhaps... The door to the personal office swung open. The house was cozy and warm, the perfect temperature, but he was sweating a little out of nervousness. The sweat would probably freeze on the walk home. That was another thing he'd forgone for the sake of this Christmas present, a car. It was stupid to own a car in Manhattan anyway. No places to park, no easy path through traffic, and, besides, secretly, he'd barely learned to drive.

"Your guest, sir."

"Guest implies he was wanted. I don't know who this hobo is. You have news regarding my daughter? Is she okay? Healthy and alive?"

"Yes sir."

"Then why are you here? You're going to get my carpet dirty, and I don't give handouts."

"I'm not asking for handouts sir. I want something different." The man narrowed his eyes.

"And I want to have you escorted off my property. Is your leg bleeding?" Maybe he'd scraped it when he fell... He hadn't noticed.

"So sorry about that. But I'd like to ask for your blessing. I'm going to propose to Rachel." He scoffed.

"You? A bleeding homeless man wants _my_ blessing to marry Rachel? As if. What are you going to propose with? A candy ring?" Octavian felt his blood boil. He didn't need to be made feel worse than he already did. He had skipped meals and avoided expenses for so long. He had given up on new clothes and nice things. He'd even had to awkwardly postpone dates, just so he could save up.

"Is this candy?" He asked, pulling out the golden ring.

"Doesn't the song say their should be five of those? Or did the diamond just fall off?" Mr. Dare was being extremely patronizing. Octavian blushed.

"I don't know why I thought I needed your blessing. You don't even know where your daughter is right now." Mr. Dare harumphed extravagantly.

"If she is interested in the likes of you then I don't want to know where she is! I would take your filth elsewhere before My head of security Lars has to escort you out."

"That's fine." As he walked out silent night was playing on the stereo. When he got outside a silent night was playing across the sky. It had started snowing again, and he was freezing. About halfway home he saw a discarded, fake Christmas tree and he dragged it the way home. It was Christmas eve. He set up the Christmas tree and sighed. One more payment, probably. He couldn't turn the heat up now.

"I got a Christmas tree, you want to come decorate it with me tomorrow?"

"Sure. I'll bring doughnuts." He smiled. She knew he was on a budget lately. Only necessities, like the electricity bill, and the dog food, which Rachel helped with. He called his dog over now, "Raichu!" He knew that Rachel was getting the golden retriever more presents than she was getting him. She had totally mothered the dog and he was completely fine with that. The dog came over now and snuggled up with him on the couch, keeping him warm during that silent night, which would fade into a glorious morning...

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 **Merry Christmas and Christmas Eve! Love you! :D**


End file.
